Israelis to Bar Arafat From Bethlehem

Published 8:00 pm, Saturday, December 14, 2002

Israel's Cabinet decided Sunday that Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat will not be allowed to travel to Bethlehem for Christmas celebrations, an Israeli government source said.

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's Cabinet made the decision at its weekly meeting after consulting with the security forces, said the source, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Israel's security agencies continue to receive warnings about possible Palestinian attacks from the Bethlehem region, just south of Jerusalem, and removing the troops would make Israel more vulnerable, the source said.

A spokesman for Arafat criticized Israel's decision.

"The Israeli decision … is a violation of their promises to the American administration, the Vatican and the Pope," said spokesman Nabil Abu Rdeneh. "All the excuses that they give are lies and are rejected."

Arafat, a Muslim, has attended Bethlehem celebrations several times since 1995, when he returned from exile and became head of the Palestinian Authority.

Last Christmas, Israel also prevented the Palestinian leader from traveling the 12 miles from his compound to Bethlehem, a town of 30,000 that is roughly half-Christian and half-Muslim.

Israel has had troops in Bethlehem and other West Bank cities for most of the past six months to guard against Palestinian attacks.

Arafat has rarely ventured from his compound in the West Bank city of Ramallah since last December, when Israel began placing tight restrictions on his movements. Israel said Arafat had failed to take actions to prevent suicide bombings and other attacks.

In the past, foreign visitors have packed Bethlehem's Manger Square, just outside the Church of the Nativity _ the spot where tradition holds that Jesus was born.

The Mideast conflict has kept many foreign tourists away for the past two years, and Palestinian Christians say Israeli travel restrictions make it difficult for them to reach Bethlehem. Turnout is expected to be low this year.

In other developments Sunday, the Israeli army said that soldiers spotted two people along the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt, and fired on them during a chase.

The two suspects were wounded and arrested, and weapons were found on them, the army said in a statement. The army did not give the identities, nationalities or any other details about the two.